Expression of miR-let7b and miR-19b in progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) children.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small non-coding RNAs that bind to the target mRNA and regulate gene expression. Recently circulating microRNAs were investigated as markers of diseases and therapeutic targets. Although various studies analyze the miRNA expression in liver disease, these studies on PFIC are few.

Circulating NKG2C + NK cell expressing CD107a/LAMP-1 subsets at the onset of CMV reactivation in seropositive kidney transplant recipients.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection contributes to morbidity and mortality among kidney transplant recipients. Natural killer (NK) cells can battle against CMV in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). This study aimed to analyze the association between CMV reactivation and the proportion of NK cell subsets and their activity.

Effects of labeling human mesenchymal stem cells with superparamagnetic zinc-nickel ferrite nanoparticles on cellular characteristics and adipogenesis/osteogenesis differentiation.

Objective: An attractive cell source for stem cell-based therapy are WJ-MSCs. Hence, tracking WJ-MSCs using non-invasive imaging procedures (such as MRI) and contrast agents (Zn0.5Ni0.

Effect of Cytomegalovirus Recombinant Phosphoprotein 150 (pp150) on Maturation and Function of Murine Dendritic Cells: an In-Vitro Study.

Background: Tegument protein pp150 of cytomegaloviruses (CMVs) plays a vital role in all stages of viral life cycle, representing the most important tegument protein candidate for HCMV treatment. However, the exact role of pp150 in immune regulation is yet to be elucidated.

Objective: To examine the effects of pp150 on the maturity and function of murine dendritic cells (DCs).

A Single Tube Overlap Extension PCR Method for Splicing of Multiple DNA Fragments.

Background: Despite the ease of conventional splicing by overlap-extension (SOEing) PCR technique in theory, when splicing more than two fragments, and especially if one of the complementary sequences is A-T rich, the attachment of the fragments would be challenging. A new rapid and highly efficient SOEing PCR assay was developed for simultaneous splicing of multiple DNA fragments and induction of site-directed mutagenesis in a single tube.

Methods: The method was adapted for splicing human beta-globin UTRs to OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, C-MYC, LIN28A, and destabilized GFP for the construction of chimeric DNA fragments for transcription.

Mesenchymal stem cells can induce regulatory T cells via modulating miR-126a but not miR-10a.

Among the different immunosuppressive properties attributed to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), one relies on their ability to induce regulatory T cells (iTregs) from conventional T cells under particular inflammatory context. Stable Foxp3 expression plays a major role in the phenotypic and functional stability of iTregs. However, the mechanism behind Foxp3 induction in iTregs by MSCs remains unknown.

Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on ILT3 Expression in the Splenocytes of Skin Graft Recipient Mice.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered as effective therapeutic cells in transplantation due to their immunomodulatory activities. However, precise mechanism of MSCs immunomodulatory activity is not completely understood.

Objectives: To study the role of Immunoglobulin-like transcripts-3 (ILT3) immunomodulatory receptor in immune tolerance induced by MSCs in skin transplantation model and induction of tolerogenic dendritic cells (Tol-DCs) by MSCs through up-regulation of ILT3.

Hepatocyte isolation from unused/rejected livers for transplantation: initial step toward hepatocyte transplantation, the first experience from iran.

Background: Hepatocyte transplantation is being used in patients with liver-based metabolic disorders and acute liver failure. Hepatocytes can be isolated from unused/rejected livers under sterile conditions.

Objectives: The quality of the hepatocytes is very important and the main and initial step in hepatocyte transplantation is hepatocyte isolation.

Vitamin D receptor genotype in pancreas allograft: a pilot study.

Objectives: Transplanting of pancreatic grafts is an established treatment for diabetes mellitus. Polymorphisms in genes, coding for proteins involved in an immune response, may influence immunologic and nonimmunologic mechanisms that lead to allograft loss. Vitamin D receptor agonists have been shown to increase long-term allograft survival in humans.

Thiopurine S-methyltransferase polymorphism in Iranian kidney transplant recipients.

Objectives: Thiopurine S-methyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes S-methylation of azathioprine as an immunosuppressive drug. Genetic polymorphisms influence thiopurine S-methyltransferase activity. There are 3 variant alleles: thiopurine S-methyltransferase*2, *3A, and *3C are responsible for more than 95% cases of low-enzyme activity.

Interleukin-10 gene polymorphism in bone marrow transplant recipients.

Objectives: Graft-versus-host disease is the main complication after hematopoietic stem cell transplant, occurring even after donor and recipient human leukocyte antigen matching, apparently because of donor/recipient minor histocompatibility antigen mismatches and cytokine polymorphisms. Interleukin-10 suppresses several activities of the immune response by inhibiting T helper 1 and T helper 2 cells. These properties suggest that interleukin-10 could act as a suppressive mediator and prevent graft-versus-host disease.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T genotypes and clinical outcome following hematopoietic cell transplant.

Objective: Methotrexate may be used as a prophylactic agent against graft-versus-host disease in hematopoietic cell transplant. The drug exerts its effect on folate metabolism; 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase is a critical enzyme involved in this cycle and is related to the toxicity of methotrexate.

Methods: We examined the association of a single nucleotide polymorphism at position 677 in the 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene and the clinical outcomes of patients treated with allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant.